Operating or adjusting table.



E. G. ADAMS.

OPERATING 0R ADJUSTING TABLE.

, APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1909. 1,065, 1 99.

Patented June 17, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

COLUMBM PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. nv c.

E. c. ADAMS. OPERATING 0R ADJUSTING TABLE.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 23, 1909.

Patented June 17, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented June 17, 1913.

E. O. ADAMS. OPERATING 0R ADJUSTING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1909.

IOLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C WASHINGTON, l). c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR C. ADAMS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO BARTLETT J". PALMER, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1913.

Application filed April 23, 1909. Serial No. 491,816.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR O. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating or Adjusting Tables; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an operating table designed more particularly for use in practising the science of chiropractics and which in that school of science is designated as an adjusting table.

It has for its purpose to construct such a table which will possess great rigidity when set up for use, and which will have the maximum of strength in construction and maximum of lightness in weight and capable of being folded into suit-case form so that it will occupy but small space and can be easily carried from place to place.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the features of construction and in the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sec tion through the forward section of the table, showing it in position for use; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the rear section, in position for use, the dotted lines showing the legs folded; Fig. 3 a bottom plan view of the rear section with the legs lowered and locked in position; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of one corner, on an enlarged scale, showing the means for locking the legs in their lowered position; Fig. 5 is a detail view of one corner showing the meeting edges of the sides dovetailed for additional strength, and also the block for the leg locking bolt and which forms a pocket for the leg when lowered; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of one corner showing one leg in its lowered position, by full lines, and in its raised position, by dotted lines, Fig. 7 is a perspective of the table with its two parts assembled in suit-case form, when not in use. Fig. 8 is a perspective of the two sections of the table arranged tandem, in proper relation for operating purposes; Fig. 9 is a central cross section through the sections when telescoped.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the side and end aprons or boards of one section of the table, which for convenience will be designated as the forward section of the table and 2 and 3 the top thereof. The central portion 2 of the top has its sides tapering from the head to the opposite end so that when set up for use with the flap portions 3 dropped or turned down the operator or adjuster can more conveniently reach both sides of the body of the patient lying upon the table for adjustment without interference from the table, the patient being placed in such position that the portion of the body to be adjusted will be at such part of the narrower portion of the top of the table as will afford the greatest freedom to the operator or adjuster handling the body. The flaps or wings 3 are hinged to opposite sides of the central por tion 2 by hinges 4:, or otherwise, and their edges adjacent to the tapering sides of the portion 3 are parallel therewith, and when opened up they together with the central portion form a parallelogram or oblong square so as to form one side of the suit case construction when the two sections of the table are assembled when the table is not in use for adjustment purposes.

The rear section of the table, so designated for convenience, has side and end boards or aprons 5 and a top 6, the top being of one piece and of uniform dimensions the area of which is equal to the combined area of the port-ions 2 and 3 of the forward section of the table as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and when in use the front section illustrated in Fig. 1 and the rear section illustrated in Fig. 2 will be placed in line one with the other, with the rear section next to the rear portion of the forward section as illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawing. This makes it possible to adjust or position one section relatively to the other as conditions may re quire for the operator to reach the portion of the body of the patient to be treated. It

will be observed that the rear section of the table is substantially horizontal while the other or front section stands at an inclination, thus supporting the upper portion. of the patients body at an inclination while the lower portion will restupon the rear section of the table. It will also be observed that when the sections are in operative relation the hinged wings of the front section are lowered thus enabling the patients arms to extend comfortably below the sides of the section and also enabling the operator to easily reach the body of the patient at that point for manipulation.

For the purpose of giving strength at the corners where the side and end aprons or boards of the sections are joined together, the edges of the meeting boards are formed one with dovetailed tongues 7 and the other with dovetailed grooves 8 so as to be dovetailed together thus affording the maximum of strength at the corners. This is illustrated clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawing and as each. corner of both the forward and rear sections of the table will be so formed, it is unnecessary to illustrate this detail in the various figures of the drawings. To further strengthen the table, strips 9, having an arched or curved face 10, are placed in the angles where the end and side boards meet and where the top board joins the side and end boards.

Each section of the table is provided with folding legs, located one at each corner, the legs 11 at the head of the forward section being longer than the others so that the forward section when in use will stand at an incline, the other 12 being of the same length with one another. As each leg is constructed andv applied in the same way, a detailed description of one will answer for all. To the underside of the top of each section, at a distance back from the end, is attached a block 13 to which is se-' cured by screws 14l one leaf of a hinge 15, the other leaf being secured by screws 16 to the table leg at a point below its upper end so that. when the leg is folded it will lie beneath the top and across the block. To the inside of the end boards of each section, at each corner, and at a distance from the side boards, equal approximately to the thickness of the leg at such points, are a t tached by screws 17, or otherwise, blocks 18, which preferably have a length equal to the depth of the end boards. These blocks, positioned as stated, in connection with the side and end boards, form pockets in which the legs will lit when they are lowered. These blocks also serve to brace the legs, and serve further as a base for locking dogs or bolts 19, pivoted thereto for instance by pivot bolts 20, each dog being provided with a handle 21. These pivoted bolts when turned in proper position will bear against a partof the leg and hold it in its unfolded position, the bolt also serving 'in connection with the block 18 to brace and hold the leg rigidly in place when lowered so that firmness and stability is given to the table when set up for us To protect the leg against wear from engagement of the locking bolt their-with, and for effecting a clamping action of the bolt against it, each leg is provided with a plate 22 having a cam face 23 and a stop shoulder 24. This plate is so positioned that when the leg is lowered and the locking bolt is turned on its pivot, the dog will engage the plate and by a cam or wedging action grip and bind the leg so as to hold it rigidly and lock it in open position. 7

Un the inner face of the side and end boards of the table, near their lower edges, are placed cleats which serve to strengthen the boards, and those on the rear section also serve as a flange for the front section to rest upon when the two sections are assembled into suit-case form, with the top board of the forward section forming one side thereof.

The top of the forward sect-ion, on its under face, is provided at one end with spring controlled bolts 26 manipulated by linger slideplates 27, and at the other end with hooks :28 which will engage respectively with suitable keepers or hooks (not shown because forming no part of the invention) secured to the inner faces of the end boards of the rear section when the parts of the table are assembled in suitcase form so as to hold the side formed by the top of the forward section to the rear section within which the folding legs are contained.

It is obvious that the legs of one section being secured to the central portion 2 of the top of that sect-ion, to one side of the hinged members 3, and also the side and end-boards 1 attached to the portion 2 of the same section, will telescope in the other section without the legs and end and side boards of one section interfering with those of the other section; and the assembled parts will present the external appearance illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

The several corners of the case formed by the two sections are protected by corner plates 29 lapping the side and end boards and the exposed edges of the rear section atthe several corners, and the four corners of the top portion of the front section are provided with protecting plates 30 formed. with angular shaped ends to fit in the correspondingly shaped portions of the protecting plates of the other sect-ion on that side of the case, so that the corners are additionally strengthened and protected.

It is obvious that the tops of the sections may each be made up of a single thickness of material or of veneers as desired and which it is not necessary to illustrate. It is also obvious that changes can be made in the various parts and essentials of the invention retained although I have described with particularity the preferred details of the various parts.

The construction described affords a very light structure possessing the maximum of strength and rigidity, and the parts of which are capable of being folded and assembled so as to contain the parts in compact suit-case form easy and convenient to carry from place to place.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. An operating table for chiropractics formed of two sections, each section provided with folding legs, one section being adapted to fit within the other section and comprising a central portion provided with hinged side members which in connection with the central portion form when eX- tended one side of a casing inclosing the legs of both sections, substantially as described.

2. The operating table for chiropractics comprising two separable sections, one of the sections having its central top portion converging and provided with converging hinged side wings which when raised together with the central portion constitute a cover or one side of the telescoped sections and when lowered convert the central portion into a top converging toward the other section placed at the end thereof for operating purposes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR C. ADAMS.

WVit-nesses FRANK A. MARTIN, Gno. STRATHMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

